Lessons from Parts Unknown

Anthony Bourdain was a celebrity chef, known primarily for his television shows, Parts Unknown and The Layover, on food and travel. He passed away two Fridays ago, to the chagrin of food lovers and travel lovers alike. We’re taking a moment with this post to honour his life and work as it pertains to travel. Get ready for a mess of quotes, cheesy purple prose, and a dash of philosophical rambling!

I remember sitting in my parent’s living room watching Tony and his friends on tv. Episodes had me either gawking at delicious looking dishes, laughing at some of the silly typical travel hitches they encountered, adding new places to my “Must Visit” bucket list, or some combination thereof. More importantly, I was consistently surprised with the depth of his reflexions on life and travel in his narrations, as well as his unexpected, albeit oftentimes reluctant, enthusiasm for adventure. I’d be lying if I said his televised travels never inspired me to seek out more of the world myself.

“It’s an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, for instance, seem to demand silence, like a love affair you can never talk about. For a while after, you fumble for words, trying vainly to assemble a private narrative, an explanation, a comfortable way to frame where you’ve been and what’s happened. In the end, you’re just happy you were there- with your eyes open- and lived to see it.”

Through his travels, Anthony Bourdain, knowingly or not, managed to teach us a few things.

1. Over a meal is the best way to get to know someone. Food is often times the heart of a culture. Talking to someone about their culture while sharing their traditional dishes is an educational experience like none other.

"Food is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go."

2. Unlearning your prejudices is critical and liberating. Open yourself up to new cultures and ideas, listen to experiences that are different from your own, learn to value things that are different and exist outside your sphere of existence. Equality is achieved in valuing and celebrating differences.

“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel — as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them — wherever you go.”

3. Do not hesitate to speak out about the injustices you witness. Use whatever privilege and power you have to enact universally positive change. Always be real, honest, and wholly yourself.
   
   

“It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough – to know that there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom, at least for me, means realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.”

4. Take every opportunity to travel! The briefest moments and the nearest destinations can be the most enlightening and enjoyable. Travel is just as much a state of mind as it is an activity.

“If I am an advocate for anything, it is to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.”

5. Lastly, travel isn’t always easy and pain free. It is most certainly worth it though. Travel is a teacher. It’s a way to expand your mind and your ideas, but it’s one of the best teachers for your heart and spirit as well: compassion, acceptance, patience, understanding, empathy, courage, generosity… Travel is an easy gateway to becoming a better person.

"Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind."

In many ways, the takeaway message from Parts Unknown is the same as the mission of our blog. Inspire people to travel, promote open-mindedness, encourage people to step outside of their comfort zones and seek to rediscover or redefine themselves. Explore. Grow. Appreciate. Fall in love with the world and yourself in the process.

Thank you for your contribution to this world, Anthony Bourdain. Rest in peace.

Gen

I also want to take this opportunity to say the following. Mental health is serious, it is important, and it is hard. It’s hard to maintain for some periods of time or for some people, and it’s hard to talk about. It’s even harder to internalize those issues endlessly. I think we have a duty to inform ourselves about resources that exist to help treat mental health issues, whether it’s for ourselves, to assist and understand someone we know, or simply to be able to recognize it so that we may offer support to those suffering in silence. I firmly believe the first step to healing is for someone to start the conversation.